The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Quercus shumardii, Shumard Oak, which has been given the varietal name ‘QSSTH’.
The parentage of this tree is unclear. It is definitely a red oak type tree. Representative species include Pin Oak, Q. palustris, or Red Oak, Q. rubra, Nuttall Oak (Q. nuttallii), Shumard Oak (Q. shumardii), and Scarlet Oak (Q. coccinea). My new tree has characteristics that have prevented making an exact identification of its species, but Shumard Oak appears to be the closest.
Shumard Oak, as well as most other red oak types, readily hybridize with one another, and there is a high probability that this tree is a result of a cross between a Shumard Oak and Nuttall Oak or some other species of red oak, since Shumard Oak and Nuttall Oak overlap one another across much of their range. For example, in Texas, Shumard is located in a wide band covering most of the eastern part of the state, Nuttall is found in the lower Southeast corner of the state, and Texas Red Oak, Q. texana, is the primary tree in the central part of the state east of Dallas. There is also a large swath of habitat between the primary Shumard and Texas Red Oak regions where the predominant tree is a hybrid between Shumard and Texas Red Oak. Hybrids are common and can easily make up a large population of the trees in any given area.
My original tree had been purchased as a seedling tree growing in a one gallon container in fall 1996 and at that time was planted in a cultivated nursery field. In winter 2003, it was transplanted to an observation area where it has remained since that time. It is now 10 years old from a seed. The description of this new Oak variety is based on observations of this original tree and of asexually propagated progeny, asexually propagated in Oconee County, Ga., from vegetative propagation. These asexually propagated progeny are being grown at a nursery in Oconee County, Ga.
The original tree has displayed characteristics resembling Shumard Oak and Nuttall Oak. There is much confusion over the exact identification of this tree, and several experienced individuals have expressed differing opinions. The only consistency has been the opinion that the acorn is generally the most distinguishing characteristic determining the species difference between Shumard Oak and Nuttall Oak. When compared to the above oaks, the acorns on my new tree most resemble Shumard Oak, which indicates that the tree is most likely a Shumard Oak or at least has Shumard Oak as one of its parents. Other physical characteristics of the tree, such as leaf size, sinus depth, and bud features, do not provide definitive answers as to the true parentage of the tree.